P4 – Practice the integration of appropriate technology with instruction.
Teacher-candidates use technology that is effectively integrated to create technologically proficient learners.
We live in the 21st century and the classroom does not look the same anymore. We need to move forward with our students. We live in a time where technology is advancing so quickly and if we are not providing students with opportunities to use technology and modeling the use of technology then we are doing our students a disservice. This can look different for different teachers. It can even look like students working alongside teachers. I have found that children these days have loads of information about how to use technology. Students are interested in technology and are often teaching themselves in ways that we may not know how. Engaging them as teachers in your classroom can be another way to incorporate technology and help them learn as well as yourself!
KhanAcedemy.com
For my TELA project I am using KhanAcademy.com in my 6th grade math class. I started the year using a regular math book and following a traditional classroom style of lecturing while the students took notes, then they had a few minutes to start their HW. They would then go home and the next day we would review some of the HW they had questions on then we would move on to the next topic. It became apparent pretty quickly that this format was not going to work for my class. In trying to find an alternative way to reach these students, I was reminded of Khan Academy. I have used it in the past and several teachers in my school use it casually, but I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to try a flipped classroom.
Khan Academy is a website that has thousands of videos on an array of topics across different subject matters. The videos are pretty short; they are clear and articulate. Over the years several features have been added that make Khan Academy more user friendly and perfect for a flip classroom setting. After each video there are a series of practice problems the students can do. Here is the cool part, as the teacher you can have the students choose you as a coach and then you (the teacher) can monitor their work. There are several different ways to view their progress as well. You can view it as an overview like this, where it shows you quickly using colors how all the students are doing:
Or you can view individual progress (this can be seen in more than one way, here is one example):
This is a cool way to view it because it shows you each night what they are doing. This way you can track that they are keeping up with their work and it gives you data on how they are doing. There are also incentives for the students to win badges and such- they seem to get excited about that!
Now that I have been giving this for HW, we have been able to do the assignments in class. This has allowed me to be able to sit down with each student and work with them. Find out where they are struggling, what is easy for them, and where they just need more practice. It has allowed me to give more individual time to each student. I also have been able to incorporate a project every couple of weeks that encompasses a few topics, since we have more class time. I still spend some class time going over the video, or sharing other strategies with students, but this has given me more time in class with the students and they enjoy the Khan Academy for HW and the students feel like they are getting more out of it.
Unfortunately, there is not a video for every topic we cover, so my classroom is not a fully flipped classroom, but the students like using this as their HW and like working on assignments in class. This gives students the opportunity to use technology at least a few times a week. Lately I have been thinking a lot about how I can take this to the next level. I thought a great way to end the year would be to have the students get into pairs, choose a math topic from the year, and create their own videos and assignments on that topic! This way the students can integrate a math topic they have learned with the technology they have been exposed to. I plan on enlisting the help of the technology coordinator at my school to work with me and the students in creating these videos. I think this would be a great culmination of the flipped classroom, and maybe I would even be able to use these videos with future classes!
NETP Goals:
2.0 Assessment: Measure What Matters
Our education system at all levels will leverage the power of technology to measure what
matters and use assessment data for continuous improvement.
3.0 Teaching: Prepare and Connect
Professional educators will be supported individually and in teams by technology that
connects them to data, content, resources, expertise, and learning experiences that enable
and inspire more effective teaching for all learners
rebeccaaf 